How would you handle suicidal gestures and comments

[cctroop231]

What's the ideal way to handle suicidal comments made by a scout during a SM conference? For example, the scout indicating that he wants to kill himself and that he has tried to hurt himself in the past.

[infoscouter]

Way beyond what you signed on for. You need to talk to his parents, ASAP.

[cctroop231]

Would taking the child to the ER be considered overreacting or overstepping?

[Scoutfish]

Tough situation!

I'd call his parents, then the COR and then The DE.

 

After that, call social services and ask who the right person or agency would be to talk to.

 

This could be an attempt at attention. It could be somebody just having a darktime in their life. It could be a cry for help.

 

 

But any way you look at it, get somebody who is trained to handle it. No offense,but the best damn intentions can turn out disasterous.

 

I spent 15 years in the firefighter/EMS/ water rescue field. Seen my share of attempted suicides and post suicide calls. Anything can and will set somebody off. It doesn't even have to make sense or have logic to it. It just happens.

[ScoutNut]

If he was injured - no.

 

If he was not injured - yes.

 

He could be telling the truth, or he could be trying to shock. Call his parents and have them come over after the meeting for a talk. They need to know what he said, and they need to know immediately.

 

[evmori]

Talk to mom and dad ASAP!

[Eagle92]

Unfortunately I did have a friend who gave me some warning signs and even mentioned it to me and how she was going to do it. I immediately had my mom drive me to her parents house to discuss what was said to me. Fortunately she got help in time.

 

TALK TO THE PARENTS ASAP AS A LIFE IS INVOLVED!

[Beavah]

Yeh sit with the lad, and you listen to him, eh?

 

You ask if he is thinkin' about suicide now. You ask if he has thought about how he would commit suicide (does he have a plan?). You ask if he has thought about when or where he would commit suicide (has he committed to a time to act on his plan?).

 

Each is progressively more serious, eh?

 

Then you make it clear to him that you care about him, that he's valuable to you, and that you don't want him to ever hurt himself. You let him know that you will always think that, no matter what. And you'll help him face whatever is challengin' him.

 

Then you let him know that you're goin' to talk to his parents and other folks you know who care about him and will work to help him. Yeh let him know that it'll be hard, but that you know he is brave, because it was brave of him to share his feelings with you. Yeh let him know that the help that comes will sometimes be goofy or stupid or ineffective, but that some of it also will be good so it's worth stickin' with it.

 

Then, dependin' on how far along things are and your own best judgment, yeh can take him to the psychiatric ER in your area and have his parents meet him there, or yeh can call his parents to come down and talk with 'em together, etc. When yeh work with da parents, I reckon it's best if yeh chat with them privately first, and put 'em in the right frame of mind rather than blindsiding them in front of the boy. Let 'em know that right now he just needs their love - no judgments - and their support.

 

Then, if yeh have any, yeh let the parents know of good contacts or community resources they can turn to.

 

And along da way, you keep your promise to the lad.

 

Beavah